Along an assembly line, various types of articles, such as for example, diapers and other absorbent articles, may be assembled by adding components to and/or otherwise modifying an advancing, continuous web of material. For example, in some processes, advancing webs of material are combined with other advancing webs of material. In other examples, individual components created from advancing webs of material are combined with advancing webs of material, which in turn, are then combined with other advancing webs of material. In some cases, individual components created from advancing web or webs are combined with other individual components created from other advancing web or webs. Webs of material and component parts used to manufacture diapers may include: backsheets, topsheets, leg cuffs, waist caps, absorbent core components, front and/or back ears, fastening components, and various types of elastic webs and components such as leg elastics, barrier leg cuff elastics, stretch side panels, and waist elastics. Once the desired component parts are assembled, the advancing web(s) and component parts are subjected to a final knife cut to separate the web(s) into discrete diapers or other absorbent articles.
After the final knife cut, absorbent articles may also undergo a folding process prior to packaging. Diaper pants may also include additional manufacturing steps not used in the manufacture of conventional taped diapers. For example, diaper pants may include side panels that connect front and rear waist regions with each other. Thus, after being folded into a U about a lateral centerline in the same or similar way as conventional diapers, the side panels on diaper pants may connect the front and rear waist regions to form a waist opening and a pair of leg openings.
Some currently available folding and side panel connection apparatuses and processes involve mechanisms with complex multi-station folding and side panel seaming devices. Relatively less complex apparatuses and methods for chassis folding and side panel connections may be desirable.